doing wrong before-even if we could conceive of his existing anterior to society. He receives liberty.

We see, then, the relation between liberty and law, and the folly of the notion that men enjoy liberty in proportion to the absence of law. If laws were perfect, and perfectly executed, they would permit every man to do right, and secure him perfectly against wrong-which would meet our idea of a state of perfect liberty, where a man is perfectly free to do all that is right, and prevented from doing wrong; that is, the perfection of law would be perfection of liberty.

We have thus far spoken of civil society, of the state as distinct from government, with which it is often confounded. When we speak of the union of church and state, we speak of the union of the church, as a religious society, with the government. The church can be separated from the government, and must be, if it would attain the end for which it exists; but religion cannot be separated from the state. The state is a religious institution as much as man is a religious being. It is founded on the idea of justice-it exists for the realization of justice between man and man.

Government is the organ by which the state ordinarily acts. Its existence is needful to the attainment of the ends for which the state exists, and hence is of divine origin. The state is bound to adopt the form of government which is best adapted to carry out its ends; and as these may vary with the varying circumstances of the state, one form may be obligatory at one time, and another at another. The Scriptures teach this view. They speak of government as the ordinance of God, but are silent as to its forms.

If the state and government are institutions of divine origin, it is not necessary to prove that they are subject to the divine government and control. The principles of the divine government with respect to the state is a most interesting topic of inquiry, and one which we may discuss at another time.

1845.] Necessity of the Holy Spirit's influence, etc. 493

ARTICLE VI,

NECESSITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT'S INFLUENCE IN THE WORK OF MAN'S REDEMPTION.

By Rev. SETH WILLISTON, D. D.

THE universe, in its most extensive sense, comprehends all existence, whether created or uncreated. The parts of creation, in many respects, differ exceedingly one from another; some being nothing more than lifeless matter; others having vegetable, and others animal life; while other created existences bear the image of the only wise God. But there is one particular in which all parts of the created universe are perfectly alike; viz., in their dependence on the Creator. It is self-evident that one part of creation must have been as dependent for its first existence as another. An angel could no more begin to be, without the exertion of creative power, than an insect. Nor is the angel any less dependent than the insect, for the protraction of his existence, or the preservation and exercise of those noble faculties, which give him such an elevated place in the scale of being.

All can see that it would be absurd to suppose the attribute of self-existence imparted to any thing which is made. And I would inquire, whether it would be any less absurd, to suppose the created universe, or any part of it, after being brought into existence, henceforward to become independent of the Creator? If reason does not decide this point, revelation does. Revelation declares that God, particularly in the person of his Son, upholds all things, by the word of his power, and that by him all things consist. Heb. 1: 3, Col. 1: 17. According to the Bible, God worketh all things. after the counsel of his own will, both in the natural and moral world. At his pleasure, he gives us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons. Nor does the Bible represent man, the lord of this lower world, as any less dependent on his Creator than those creatures over which he rules. "Man's goings

are of the Lord." "We are not sufficient of ourselves, to think any thing as of ourselves." Even the hearts of kings, however absolute their government may be, are in the hand of the Lord, and are turned at his pleasure.

That portion of God's intelligent creatures, which have revolted from his government and set up for independence, are nevertheless as dependent as they were before their revolt. Their hearts are still in his hand. Therefore it is that he can cause their wrath to praise him, and the remainder of their wrath he can restrain. Were wicked men as independent of divine control as they wish to be, what could render it certain that their wrath would eventuate in the promotion of God's glory; or what could give an assurance that their wrath would be effectually restrained at that very point, where the interests of his kingdom require it? In this case, what could have rendered it certain that the brethren of Joseph would not have carried into execution their first project, namely, to kill him outright? or, in case this failed, their second, which was to leave him to perish in the deep pit, instead of selling him to the Ishmaelites? And these Ishmaelites, if God had had no control over their hearts, might have sold him to some other Egyptian besides Potiphar. But God's great and holy plan required that the captain of Pharaoh's guard, in distinction from every other man in the land of Egypt, should be Joseph's master. There are many devices in a man's heart, nevertheless the counsel of the Lord, that shall stand. If, however, the devices of a man's heart were beyond the control of the Almighty, we do not see how his counsel could always stand, so that he should be able to do all his pleasure.

But while all rational creatures are completely in the hand of their Creator, being dependent on him not only for the preservation of their intellectual powers, but also for their exercise, there is nevertheless a sense in which God is said, at certain times, to withdraw or withhold his influence, in distinction from other times; and from some of his rational family, in distinction from others of them. Concerning Hezekiah it is said that, "in the business of the ambassadors of the

princes of Babylon, God left him to try him, that he might know all that was in his heart." There was a particular time in the history of Israel, in which God says concerning them, "So I gave them up unto their own hearts' lusts." And concerning the heathen nations it is said, "For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections."

We have seen that the Scriptures assert the universal dependence of moral agents on God, even in all their voluntary actions; and yet, from the passages which have now been alluded to, we perceive that there is a sense in which, on a particular occasion, God withdrew his influence from one of his favorites; and that there was a time when he withdrew this influence from the holy nation; and that in this special sense he withdraws his influence from the whole pagan world, giving them up to vile affections. Hence we infer that, although there is a divine agency which pervades the created universe, there is a more special influence which produces and preserves holiness of character. This, in the Scriptures, is commonly distinguished from other divine efficiency, by its being attributed to the Holy Ghost. In the matter of our salvation, this peculiar divine influence is made. as absolutely necessary as the atonement of Christ. I propose to show, in a number of particulars, what supreme importance the Scriptures ascribe to the Spirit's influence.

1. They ascribe a supreme importance to the Spirit's influence, by representing all those who are not the subjects of it as being under the entire dominion of sin. So it is represented in Jude, verse 19: "These be they who separate themselves, sensual, not having the Spirit." Christ describes the entire depravity of an unbelieving world by declaring it incapable of receiving the Spirit of truth: "Whom the world cannot receive." And Paul tells us that' the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God. It appears then that, in Scripture dialect, to be destitute of the Spirit, is the same thing as to be destitute of holiness. 2. A change of character from sin to holiness is attributed to the Holy Ghost as the efficient agent. "Except

a man be born of the water and of the Spirit," said Christ, "he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." Again he said, "It is the Spirit which quickeneth, the flesh profiteth nothing." The Spirit imparts the life of holiness to such as are dead in sin. In relation to this great moral change, Paul testified, "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy hath he saved us, by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost." The salvation of men is no more possible without regeneration, than without an atonement for sin. But, according to the Scriptures, regeneration is never produced by any less powerful agent than the Holy Ghost. Just as important then as is the salvation of an immortal soul, is the Spirit's influence.

3. The preservation of a holy principle in the saints is ascribed to the same divine agent, who first imparts it. "Being confident of this very thing," said Paul to the Philippians, "that he which hath begun a good work in you, will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ." Saints are denominated spiritual, to denote the permanency of the Spirit's residence in their hearts. They are called the temples of the Holy Ghost. Christ said to his true disciples, " But ye know him," (i. e. the Spirit of truth,) " for he dwelleth in you, and shall be in you for ever." Paul says to the Roman Christians, "Ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you." "And hereby," said John, "we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us." From the whole tenor of Scripture, we are led to conclude, that the life of piety would become extinct in the Christian's soul, were it not for the abiding. influences of the Spirit, with just as much certainty as the loss of his breath would put an end to the life of his body.

4. Eminence in holiness is accounted for by uncommon communications of the Holy Spirit. Why did the martyr Stephen excel his fellow Christians at Jerusalem? Because he was emphatically full of faith. But why was he so full of faith? The answer is, Because he was eminently filled